Report by Ben Davis

Andy Petterson may have only been at Pompey for three months, but his service during those months will not be forgotten. This was his last game on loan as FA rules say that clubs cannot loan players for more than three months. The keeper didn't have a great deal to do and you could see him smile as the crowd chanted his name. At the end of the game he applauded the fans who gave him a standing ovation.
Steve Claridge was back after injury with Luke Nightingale making way. That meant the combined age of the front two was 66! There was also recalls for John Durnin and Thomas Thorgersen. Fitzroy Simpson was on the bench. Thorgersen moved to his accustomed right wing-back role with Matt Robinson switching to the other wing. Durnin took up a midfield role.
There was a disappointing sight at the start of the game, the masses of empty seats around the stadium. It is pretty clear that the stay at home fans don't know how serious the situation is down at the Fratton Park. This is a problem which has to addressed very quickly.
On the pitch Bury started brightly with West and Daws having a go at goal, the first a shot which flew wide and the second a header straight at Petterson. Pompey though quickly piled on the pressure with three successive corners. The best chance during those corners fell to Vlachos whose shot was blocked by Swailes.
Minutes later Robinson broke away down the left and his good low cross was picked up by Whittingham who laid a pass off to McLoughlin. The midfielder's shot was blocked again by Swailes. Robinson and Whittingham combined again with the striker in the end forcing Kiely into a good save to keep a 20-yard shot out of his top right hand corner.
Bury were forced to make a change when Billy went off injured with Andy Preece taking his place. From there the game dwindled to a repeat of the Tranmere game and ironically enough Bury were playing in the same colours. Passes were going astray and the visitors looked intent on getting a point from the game which was surprising seeing as they haven't won an away game all season.
The deadlock was nearly broken in the 33rd minute when Pompey were thanking the goalkeeping excellence of Petterson. Bury's battling, and at times thugish, midfielder Patterson drilled in a 25-yard shot which took a sizeable deflected. Petterson was out of his goal and it looked as though the ball might loop over him until the Aussie raised a hand to flick the ball over the bar.
Eventually a goal arrived in the 37th minute, from a rare source. The move started when Thorgersen found Claridge in the area. He typically twisted and turned before chipping a cross into the middle where Robinson sent a downward header into the net. That was the wing-back's first ever goal and it was one he had been threatening for several games now.
Steve Claridge should have made it two when Whittingham fed him into the area. Three defenders quickly closed him down as he tried to get into a good shooting position. There might have been a case for a penalty though as he seemed to be bundled to the floor. The last incident of the half may have seen a red card shown to Durnin. Having done well to win the ball back off a Bury player near the corner flag the fans favourite kicked out at his opponent. In the end a booking was shown which was more than a tad lucky.
The second half was to be one of Pompey's most relaxing this season and one which they dominated the most. If it wasn't for the heroics of Bury keeper Dean Kiely the score would have been much greater. The first of the attacks came five minutes after the restart. Thorgersen did well to beat a defender on the by-line and his low cross was turned just wide by Whittingham at the near post.
Pompey then opened up Bury with a sweeping move which almost ended in a second goal. Robinson cleverly set Vlachos away down the left and the Greek's good cross was met by Whittingham whose powerful downward header was brilliantly turned around the post by Kiely. Whittingham had another chance a minute later when Durnin's deflected shot fell in the striker's path. He only had Kiely to beat but the keeper was again equal to the well struck effort.
Claridge was denied by Williams before Pompey did make it two in the 64th minute. Thorgersen, again involved, knocked the ball onto McLoughlin's whose cross was classically headed past Kiely and into the net by Whittingham.
Bury might have pulled a goal back shortly after when Redmond directed a header over the top of the bar when he should have at least hit the target. That showed that Bury were still out their for a fight, but their lack of invention let them down and it looked like they would never score.
With Durnin slightly losing the plot in midfield by giving the ball away far to often, Alan Ball swapped him with Simpson who immediately looked impressive. A second substitution a few minutes later saw the excellent Peron come off for Phillips. The winger could have easily scored twice in his short time on the field. First he blazed a shot over the bar and then forced Kiely into yet another smart save when he only had the keeper to beat.
Disappointingly concentration levels dropped at the end allowing Bury to pull a goal back. Avdiv, one of Bury's subs, got the goal after Patterson had headed a cross into his path. That though was to prove only a consolation goal as the three points were Pompey's and what crucial three points they could be in their fight to stay away from the dreaded bottom three.